Intermittent fasting is everywhere now, but I'm not convinced it's the metabolic miracle people claim. I tried 16:8 for three months and lost weight, but so did my friend who just ate fewer calories without any time restrictions. The research on autophagy and hormone benefits is promising, yet most studies are short-term or on animals. Maybe the real advantage is simply portion control, not the fasting itself. What do you think: does intermittent fasting actually outperform traditional calorie counting?